Burn calories in advance - and help a good cause - at local turkey trots

Posted November 23, 2008 10:00 pm

By Robert McCoppin Daily Herald Staff

The Drumstick 6 group of runners gather at Buffalo Wild Wings before one of their training runs. Ed Lee | Staff Photographer

If one Turkey Trot is good, Nick Dragisic thinks two is even better.

Last Thanksgiving, Dragisic, a high school sports coach, ran in the Naperville Lions Turkey Trot at 8 a.m., then drove immediately to Elmhurst for the Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot at 9 a.m.

"I'm kind of compulsive about running," he explains. "It's a whole subculture I had no idea was going on until I did it."

The subculture of turkey trots includes both hard-core runners like Dragisic, and casual and first-time runners. Lots of folks either want to burn off some calories and guilt before gorging themselves at dinner, or they want to help a charitable cause.

Most Thanksgiving Day races charge each runner about $30 to raise funds for scholarships, health care or food pantries.

The Naperville Noon Lions Turkey Trot, for instance, draws 5,000 people and raises almost $100,000 annually for local charities.

The Hillstriders Running Club offers a free Turkey Trot in Crystal Lake Thursday, but asks participants to donate nonperishable food. Last year, runners contributed three pickup trucks of food.

Beyond charitable motives, the turkey trot is the perfect race for the first-time runner: little training is required, there's no pressure to go fast, and you can walk if you want. There's also a social aspect, with whole families pushing babies in strollers, and old friends reuniting.

Courses typically cover five kilometers, which is 3.1 miles. The average runner can knock that out in 45 minutes or less, making it a good distance for a quick workout.

For a 150-pound person who runs a mile in 10 minutes, and finishes the course in a half-hour, the race will burn about 360 calories.

One muffin or drumstick can pack that many calories, so one race alone won't offset dinner. But it will make you feel like less of a slug the rest of the day.

Turkey trots also mark the end of the outdoor running season for many people who either give it up for the winter or move indoors to tracks and treadmills.

Others bundle up and keep going. Dragisic, for instance, who lives in Clarendon Hills and ran 54 races this year, runs six to 10 miles every other day year-round.

The Drumstick Six runners club trains for turkey trots by running together in Naperville every Tuesday night for six weeks, then sharing dinner and drinks at a local bar or restaurant.

Group coordinator Jim Laubsted, who runs a Chicago Area Runners Association site in Wheaton, says for those who want to improve their running times, it's important to keep running year-round.

Laubsted invites joggers to join his group for winter runs at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, where the roads are plowed and almost empty of cars.

The Hillstriders also welcome runners to join them for a fun run at 7 a.m. every Sunday through winter at Cary-Grove High School.

And no matter how cold it gets, it's never too early to start thinking about spring. The runners association offers a Boston Marathon training program in Chicago starting Nov. 30. Other marathon programs start in January, and training starts in February in the suburbs for the Shamrock Shuffle 8K in Chicago or the March Madness Half Marathon in Cary, both in March.

For more information, check out cararuns.org and hillstriders.com.

Where to find a turkey trot

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27:

• Thanksgiving Day 5K Run/Walk, 8 a.m., register by 7:30 a.m., no entry fee, asking for nonperishable food donation, Lippold Park, Route 176 half mile west of Route 14, Cary, (815) 715-3855, hillstriders.com

• Naperville Lions 5K Turkey Trot, 8 a.m., registration 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., $35, Naperville Central High School, 440 W. Aurora Ave., (630) 364-3922, napervilleturkeytrot.com

• Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot, 5K, 9 a.m., $30, registration 7 to 8:55 a.m., Vallette and York roads, Elmhurst, (630) 415-2816, dangibbonsturkeytrot.com

• Jon Callaghan Memorial Turkey Trot, 5K run and walk, 8 a.m., registration 7 a.m., $25, old fire station, 4500 Old Grand Ave., Gurnee, (847) 599-7090 or (847) 599-6600, gurneeturkeytrot.org

• Long Grove Turkey Trot, three-mile walk/run, half-mile Tiny Trot, the new Heron Creek Forest Preserve, 9 a.m., registration 7:30-8:45 a.m., $22, $8 Tiny Trot, Route 22 & Old McHenry Road, Long Grove, (847) 344-0861, allcommunityevents.com

• Fox & Turkey, four-mile Predictor Race $20, 9 a.m., and Youth Mile $12, 8:30 a.m., registration 7 to 8:30 a.m., West Bank Family Fitness Center, west side of the Fox River, one block south of Wilson St., one block east of Route 31, Batavia, (630) 879-6924, foxrivertrailrunners.com

• Turkey Trot two- and five-mile run, 8 and 9 a.m., registration up to 15 minutes before race, Harper College, $30, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, front of Building A, Palatine, (847) 991-0333, palatineparkdistrict.com

• Turkey Trot Predictor Race, 5K, 8 a.m., free, Lake Ellyn, Glen Ellyn, (630) 858-2462, gepark.org

• Mount Prospect Jaycees Turkey Trot, 9:15 a.m., 8 a.m. check-in, $12, Mount Prospect Golf Club, 600 S. See Gwun Ave., mountprospectjaycees.com

• Turkey Trot Chicago, 8K and Kids Dash, 9 a.m., registration 7 to 8:45 a.m., $35, $15 for kids, plus two cans of food, Lincoln Park, (773) 878-3838, caprievents.com

Saturday, Nov. 29

• Wauconda Turkey Trot 5K, 9 a.m., registration 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., $27, Tiny Trot half-mile for 12 and under $8, Singing Hills Forest Preserve, Gilmer & Fish Lake roads, Wauconda, (847) 344-0861, allcommunityevents.com

• Dream for Eileen 5K Run/Walk, 10 a.m., $25, Forest Park, Deerpath and Lake roads, in Lake Forest, eileenlupton.com

• Holly Days Family 5K Run & Walk, 8 a.m., registration 7:30 a.m. at Westmont Center, 1 S. Cass Ave., Westmont (630) 963-5252, wpd4fun.org

With headlamps on, the Drumstick 6 group of runners take off for a training run in Springbrook Prairie Preserve in Naperville. Ed Lee | Staff Photographer

The Drumstick Six runners train for this year's turkey trot with an evening run in Springbrook Prairie Preserve in Naperville. Ed Lee | Staff Photographer

The Naperville Noon Lions Club 5K Turkey Trot attracts about 5,000 runners each year. Daily Herald file photo

Winter running tips Whether you are turkey trotting or just doing your regular workout, here are some tips: • Dress in layers. A moisture-wicking microfiber underwear to keep the skin dry, fleece to stay warm, and a zippered breathable shell to block the wind and water, which can be taken off or vented if you get too hot. Wear bright or reflective clothes to be seen in the dark. • Grip the road. For better traction in snow and ice, try Yaktrax, tiny coiled steel wires that attach to the bottom of running shoes. • Try this slick trick. Winter hats are often too hot, so wear a thinner athletic skull cap or headband and put Vaseline on your ears, nose and cheeks to insulate them. Also remember lightweight gloves to keep your hands from freezing. • Don't overdress: You'll heat up when running so don't dress like you'll be standing at a bus stop. Your legs will generate heat and may only need tights or nylon jogging pants to break the wind. You'll start cold but should warm up soon.

Article Comments

Article Categories
Communities Elmhurst Health Lifestyle Naperville

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.